THE WIND.

Specimens of Bushman Folklore, by W.H.I. Bleek and L.C. Lloyd, [1911], at sacred-texts.com

The Wind [1] (i.e. the Wind's son) was formerly a man. He became a bird.[2] And he was flying, while he no longer walked, as he used to do; for, he was flying, and he dwelt, in the mountain (that is, in a mountain hole). Therefore, he was flying. He was formerly a man. Therefore, he was formerly rolling (a ball); he was shooting; while he felt that he was a person. He became a bird; and he was flying, and he dwelt in a mountain's hole. And he was coming out of it, he flew about, and) he returned to it. And he came to sleep in it; and, he early awaking goes out of it;

[1. The young wind blew, while, the young wind felt that its fathers seemed formerly to have blown; for, they were the wind. Therefore, they blew. For the people did not tell me about the wind's parents--, for, they merely talked to me about the young wind.

2. The Wind was formerly a person; he, became a bird. Therefore, he is tied up in stuff. His skin is that which we call stuff.]

he flies away, again, he flies away. And he again returns, while he feels that he has sought food. And he eats, about, about, about, about, he again returns. And he, again, comes to sleep (in) it.

[That this curious belief, that the wind now wears the form of a bird, was even lately in active existence among the Bushmen, the following will suffice to show:--]

Smoke's Man[1] was the one who formerly spoke to me about the wind, when he was still living with his master, Jacob Kotzé.[2] He said that the place at which he had seen the wind was Haarfontein;[3] while its Bushman name is #koaXa; while its name (by) which the Europeans call it, is Haarfontein.

Smoke's Man espied the wind at Haarfontein's mountain. Therefore, he was throwing a stone at the wind, while he believed (it) to be a !kuerre!kuerre (a certain bird). And the wind burst on account of it. Therefore, the wind did not blow gently; the wind raised the dust, because he had thrown a stone at the wind, The wind raised the dust, while the wind flew away. The wind went into a mountain's hole, and the wind burst; the wind did not gently blow.

And he (Smoke's Man), being afraid, went home; he went to sit under the hut's bushes,[4] while he

[1. ||goo-ka-!kui, or "Witbooi Tooren", was the son of ||khabo ("Oud Jantje Tooren") and his wife, !kuabba-ang ("Oude Lies"). |han#kass'o used to teach "Witbooi" how to hunt springbok; being already grown up when "Witbooi" was still a child.

2. Jacob Kotzé is a Bastaard. He used to live at "Hartus Kloof".

3. Haarfontein's mountains in which he saw the Wind.

4. i.e. the bushes broken off and used to make a shelter for the mat hut.]

did not look to the sheep. The sheep[1] by themselves, the sheep returning came, while he sat under the (hut's) bushes; while he felt that he did not perceive the sheep on account of the dust. Therefore, he went to sit under the (hut's) bushes, while he desired that the dust should settle for him, he sat under the (hut's) bushes, sat close under the hut's sheltering bushes, while he felt that he sat warming himself; while he felt that the place was cold. Therefore, he sat under the (hut's) bushes, while he felt that he sat warming himself. And he afterwards arose, he drove bringing the sheep[2] to the kraal, while he felt that the sun had met. Therefore he again, he went to sit under the (hut's) bushes, while he wished that his mother should be the one to bring him food.[3] Therefore, he came to sit under the (hut's) bushes, when he had brought the sheep to the kraal. He went to sit under the hut's bushes, while his mother who worked there,[4] she would be the one to bring him food. Therefore, he sat under the (hut's) bushes, while he desired that he might lie down.

Therefore, his mother worked (and) worked,[5]

[1. The "Africander" sheep (those with the thick tails) will (|hang#kass'o says) return home alone; while the "Va'rland" sheep do not return home alone, but remain where they were left.

!k'oa is the name for "Va'rland sheep, or "Moff".

!gei s the name for "Africander sheep, "Kaap Schaap."

3. The sheep stand upon a bare (unenclosed) place, the Bastaard's sheep. Therefore, the shepherd dwells (i.e. has his hut) on this side of the sheep; the wagon stands on that (the opposite) side of the sheep, while the sheep stand between.

4. He was (at that time) a child.

5. Worked at the master's, the Bastaard's.]

his mother brought him food. Therefore, he ate up this little food, he lay down; while he felt that the Bastaards are not accustomed to give food liberally. "Silla" was the one who gave food liberally, Jacob Kotzés wife, while she felt that she was a Bushman (woman); she speaks the Bushman (language). We used, being satisfied, to leave the food which she gave to us. I used to live with her (i.e. at her place). Silla (and) Jacob Kotzé, they are those with whom I used to live.